The present invention relates to protectors with sensors and methods of molding end parts of the protectors with the sensors. When alien substances including fingers are caught between openings of automobiles and opening or closing objects for opening or closing the openings of automobiles, the sensors of the protectors output corresponding signals for detecting the alien substances. The opening or closing objects include: doors such as sliding doors on wagons, station wagons or the like sliding frontward and rearward of the automobile bodies and back doors; and sun roofs.
A protector 10, 20 with a sensor is installed on an automobile including a wagon shown in FIG. 3 of which a sliding door 1 (or a back door) opens or closes an opening of an automobile body or on an automobile shown in FIG. 4 of which sun roof 2 opens or closes the opening of the automobile body.
For example, the protector 10 with the sensor, extending in an upper and lower direction as shown in FIG. 5, is installed on a front end surface of the sliding door 1. The protector 10 with the sensor extends frontward of the automobile body from the front end surface of the sliding door 1.
As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the protector 10 with the sensor, installed on the front end surface of the sliding door 1 comprises: an installation base member 11 having a substantially U-shaped cross section including an inner-cabin side wall 11a, an outer-cabin side wall 11b and a connecting wall 11c; and a hollow part 12 integrally molded with the installation base member 11. The hollow part 12 comprises a sensor (pressure sensitive sensor) 80 which outputs a corresponding electric signal upon detecting the alien substance such as a part of human bodies (fingers, hands or legs) between the sliding door 1 and a body side opening (may also be front door or side door) (see, for example, Japanese examined Patent Publications No.3700267 and No. 3844684.
In a lower part of the protector 10 with the sensor, a channel part 13 having a substantially C-shaped cross section is integrally molded with the inner-cabin side wall 11a side of the installation base member 11 for holding wire harness 90 joined with the pressure sensitive sensor 80. The installation base member 11 has a plurality of holding lips 14 formed inside and a core 15 having a substantially U-shaped cross section embedded therein for increasing rigidity. In addition, a decorative lip 16 is provided on the outer-cabin side wall 11b of the installation base member 11.
The sensor (pressure sensitive sensor) 80 has two core wires (electrode wires) 31, 32 extending in an upper and lower direction (longitudinal direction) embedded in conductive rubber like elastic bodies 34, 35 with a space 33 therebetween, which are fixed in the hollow part 12. As the alien substance is caught between the sliding door 1 and the body side opening while closing the sliding door 1, a part of the hollow part 12 is pressed and deformed, and then the rubber like elastic bodies 34, 35 contact with each other and the two core wires 31, 32 short. Resultant change in electric signal is transmitted to a control unit 40 joined with leads 36 which are connected with the two core wires 31, 32 in a lower side terminal part of the protector 10 with the sensor, and as a result, the alien substances are detected. The leads 36 covered with insulator are tied by the wire harness 90. Top ends of the leads 36, bared from covered parts 37, are naked wires.
As shown in FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c), in the lower side terminal part of the protector 10 with the sensor, the leads 36 are piled on the two core wires 31, 32 drawn out in a longitudinal direction (left direction in FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c) relative to a sheet), the leads 36 and the two core wires 31, 32 are connected by resistance welding or soft soldering (FIG. 8(b)) and an insert 25 fills up the space 33 which is exposed in an end part (FIG. 8(c)). Then, as shown in FIG. 9, a wire connection part 70, the insert 25 and a part of the wire harness 90 are embedded in a die molded part by die molding and are not exposed.
Also, as shown in FIG. 10, in an upper side terminal part of the protector 10 with the sensor, legs of a resistor 39 are piled on the two core wires 31, 32 drawn out in the longitudinal direction (right direction in FIG. 10 relative to the sheet), the legs and the two core wires 31, 32 are connected by resistance welding or soft soldering and an insert 26 fills up the space 33. Then, the wire connection parts 70, the insert 26 and the resistor 39 are embedded in a die molded part by the die molding and are not exposed.
In FIGS. 9 and 10, dotted lines show the die molded parts.
When water enters the wire connection parts 70, connected circuits may short, which causes improper operations. The wire connection parts 70 are between the two core wires 31, 32 and the leads 36 of the lower side terminal part of the protector 10 with the sensor or between the two core wires 31, 32 and the legs of the resistor 39 of the upper side terminal part of the protector 10 with the sensor. The wire connection parts 70 are connected by resistance welding or soft soldering.
In this connection, the wire connection parts 70 can be firmly fixed by sealing agent (adhesive) of epoxy resin disclosed in Japanese examined Patent Publication No.3700267. But the structure necessitates an extra process of adhesion and minutes or hours of time for curing the sealing agent. In addition, an increase in amount of adhesive to be used has caused insufficient adhesion. Further, use of adhesive tends to cause unevenness, which makes it difficult to stably fix the wire connection parts 70 or the resistor 39.
Especially, in case the wire connection parts 70 or the resistor 39 are not stably fixed, external shapes of resultant products become uneven while die molding the external shapes.
Alternatively, the wire connection parts 70 or the resistor 39 can be doubly coated by hot melt molding disclosed in Japanese examined Patent Publication No.3844684. But the structure necessitates extra members including supporting members for connecting hard-wirings, has a problem concerning heat-resistance and is degraded in mold releasability from the dies.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide the protectors with sensors and the methods of molding the end parts of the protectors with the sensors, which are capable of decreasing unevenness in the shapes of the products while die molding the terminal parts and excellent in sealing function.